As with any large piece of restaurant kitchen equipment, buying a commercial ice machine is a pretty significant expense, and you want to know that you’re getting one that’s going to handle your business needs with minimal waste. If you intend to purchase an ice machine in the near future, there are a few things you should know.

To get the ice machine that’s the best fit for your business, you should first answer a few questions in reference to the ice machine in question vs. your ideal ice machine…

·    How long does the typical commercial ice machine last?

·    How necessary is a water filter?

·    What can I expect, as it pertains to manufacturer warranty and customer service?

·    What quantity of ice is needed to best serve my customers?

·    What kind of ice do I need- cubed, nugget, flake, etc.?

·    How much room am I going to need for this thing?

·    Will I need more ice bins to store ice?

·    Should I get a water-cooled model, or is an air-cooled one good enough?

Before we begin to address the questions above, it will actually help to know how the basic ice machine works. Here’s a quick run-down…

Water is supplied by means of an outside line, and a pump within the ice machine pours the water over an ice tray (or cylinder in flake ice models), where it is frozen one layer at a time.

A heating coil loosens the ice from the tray, and it is dropped into a collection bin. Flake ice machines have a crusher, which breaks up ice before it drops into the bin. The crusher determines the size of the flakes, ranging from fine flakes to larger nuggets of ice.

To help keep the ice from refreezing into a massive useless chunk, the bin is equipped with drainage to separate any water from the ice.

Now that you have a basic understanding of how an ice machine works, you’re better equipped with a working knowledge to address those questions above.

How long your typical commercial ice machine lasts

Though it depends on how much and the quality of water used, as well as other factors- like maintenance, dust, salt, and humidity- your average ice machine should last around ten years.

How necessary a water filter really is

It is an accurate estimate that more than 60% of maintenance calls regarding ice machines are related to the water quality. Having the proper water filter in place, as well as having it changed regularly, will significantly reduce these calls (and the expense of these calls).

Aside from improving its taste, weeding out parasites, filtering out harmful chemicals, and removing odors, your water filter also reduces the calcium and scale build-up that can be devastating to an ice machine.

A water filter isn’t just important- it’s crucial if you’d like it to last more than a year.

What you can expect with manufacturer warranty and customer service

As a norm, the comparatively expensive parts (condenser, evaporator, compressor, etc.) should be covered by a longer warranty, and your dealer should also offer a short-term warranty to cover all parts and labor.

Your vendor should have available a comprehensive warranty, reliable customer service, and give you various ways to get in touch with their company in the event something goes wrong with your ice machine.

The quantity of ice that is needed to best serve your customers

First, you will want to know your expected rate of business- that will help with choosing any or all of your kitchen equipment. If you’re unsure, you can research public records and demographic business data, or physically go “next door” and talk to other restaurant owners in the area.

The following are some approximate general guidelines, but be sure to allow enough room for your business’s use and growth or fluctuations in customer volume.

Food & Beverage
·    Ice for a dine-in restaurant: 1.5 lbs./person
·    Ice for a cocktail lounge: 3.0 lbs./ person
·    Ice for water service: 4 oz./10oz. glass
·    Ice for a salad bar: 30 lbs./cubic foot
·    Ice for a fast food restaurant: 8 oz./14oz. drink

Hotels
·    Ice for guests: 5 lbs./room
·    Ice for catering: 1 lb./person

Hospitals
·    Ice for patients: 10 lbs./bed
·    Ice for cafeteria: 1 lb./person

You will also want to bear in mind that in or near the kitchen, temperatures are much higher and may significantly reduce the volume of ice produced.

Which kind of ice you need- cubed, nugget, flake, etc.

For packing seafood displays, fresh fish displays, poultry displays, and salad sections of buffet tables, crushed ice or nugget ice is best. Though it will also do great in beverages, cubed ice does just as well and will last longer in a drink.

Determine what you’ll be using the ice for, and that will determine which type of ice will best serve your business.

How much room you’re going to need for your ice machine

After determining how much and what type of ice you’ll need, you are now armed with a pretty good idea of which ice machine (or type of ice machine) you’re looking for.

Measure the space you have allocated for your ice machine- height, width, and depth- and compare those measurements to the dimensions of your prospective purchase. Also judge the feasibility of installing an electrical outlet and plumbing (and the cost of such installation). You want to make sure that the ice machine of your choice will fit and function.

Is that the best place for your ice machine? Sometimes it can help to “map” out your work area, being sure to include things like existing power outlets, plumbing, phone jacks, etc.- especially if you intend to purchase other kitchen equipment.

Whether you’ll need more ice bins to store ice

Additional bins to store ice can be “life savers” on those busy days or during an unexpected rush, as well as provide wait staff closer, easier access to ice.

Whether you need an extra ice bin depends on how practical it would be for your staff to make repeated trips to the nearest supply of ice.

If your ice machine or nearest ice supply is or will be way back in the kitchen, you may want to consider getting one. If your ice supply is more centrally located and easily accessible to your staff, you may not need to.

Whether you should get a water-cooled or an air-cooled model

There are good points to each, and there also “not-so-good” aspects. Only you can determine which is best for your business as you weigh the good and “bad.”

Air-cooled ice machines are generally less expensive, and as the name implies- they use air to help in the refrigeration process. They are noisy, however, and the air used for cooling is heated and expelled into the room- maybe not the best for a hot kitchen.

Water-cooled ice machines are relatively quiet, and won’t contribute as much heat to the surrounding room. Some demographic areas may not permit water-cooled ice machines, due to their water consumption, so be sure to check. That brings another issue to light- water price. If your water bill is already high, this model might contribute to the problem.

As with any kitchen equipment, buying a dishmachine is more than a solitary choice- it actually involves several decisions.  Each of those decisions can either facilitate or encumber your business.

For example, a new restaurant with a bar finds on opening night that their dishmachine (which can only do 45 racks/hour) can’t keep up with the demand. That’s a BAD way to be- probably should’ve done their homework first.

To keep something like that from happening to your business, how would you know which dishmachine is right for your restaurant?

First, find out how much customer traffic you can expect. You can research public records, evaluating demographic business data- altogether a pretty good idea… but be sure to also physically go “next door” and talk to other restaurant owners in the area. Yeah, you read that right… just ask- it really is that simple.

Ridiculous?  Not really. Something you need to keep in mind is that not ALL restaurants are necessarily in competition with each other, as each business has something unique to offer.

BK vs. McD’s- we could totally understand… not much difference between their menus (besides the “tasty fries”).  However, notice that both are usually on the same city block- in any given city- and neither of them are suffering a loss. Coincidence?  Not likely. They both did their research and found that area to be ideal for their business- just some food for thought.

Being familiar with your rate of business, you need to choose kitchen equipment (in this case, your dishmachine) that can handle your customer demand. For that, we should get ourselves knowledgeable of some characteristics and types of dishmachines. One common mistake restaurant owners also make is that they try to fit their “dish pit” into an entirely too small of a space. Make sure to have enough room for your soiled dishtable, as well as your clean dishtable, while leaving space for your employees to work.

The first thing to consider is the dishmachine’s load time and/or the rate at which it can clean dishes. Load time is simply how long it takes to clean and sanitize through one full cycle of one load, or rack of dishes- particularly with door-type and undercounter dishmachines.

Bear in mind that one cycle, in some larger models, may consist of the rack actually passing through a series of chambers of the machine specialized for each stage of the cycle. In this case, each load does not have to wait a full cycle before beginning the cleaning process of the next- hence, the rate in terms of racks/hour.

In peg-type or flight-type dishmachines, dishes are loaded onto a belt that runs through the entire machine. These machines are designed for extremely high volume, and have a capacity to cycle well over eighteen thousand (18,000) dishes per hour. These machines usually need a person on each end in order to operate it.

Flight-type dishmachines can be customized, in that sections can be added, but it is recommended to work with a sales representative to help with sizing and configuration. Flight-type dishmachines also come with several safety features, to include a “kill switch” that stops the entire machine if dishes are not removed from the clean end- so they’re not falling onto the floor and breaking.

The most versatile dishmachines (and some of the hardest working) are the conveyor dishmachines, and they move dish racks from left to right, or right to left (left feed or right feed, respectively) through three to four chambers. Conveyor dishmachines, too, can be customized to your restaurant’s needs by adding sections.

Because of their massive productivity, they may not be the best choice for small restaurants, but in large commercial kitchens and cafeterias, they are revered as God-sent.

Door-type dishmachines are simpler, smaller, and moreover manually operated. Typically, they are single-load and pass-through, but there are corner types available as well. Door-type dishmachines typically use higher volumes of water over the ware, and cycle times are shorter (about 1 minute), but also usually do only one rack at a time.

Undercounter dishmachines can be free-standing or built into a counter, and are best used for smaller businesses- like a corner diner that seats fifty or less. The cycle time for undercounter dishmachines is around two to three minutes, or about twenty to thirty racks/hour.

Undercounter dishmachines and door-type dishmachines are both loaded and unloaded manually, so when figuring your washing capacity for that machine, be sure add that in as well.

Now that we’re more aware of what types of dishmachines are available to you, and what each can handle, you can better match your business needs to the appropriate machine. Be sure to look into optional features for your dishmachine that may allow a smaller or less expensive model to accommodate your needs just as well as a larger one.

You might not want to go overboard with your choice of dishmachine, but you want to be sure it can handle your business volume.

How many times have you heard of someone trying to drive a nail with an old shoe, or tighten a screw with a butter knife? It didn’t work so well, did it?

No doubt, it’s far more productive to use the proper tool for the task, as a hammer would best drive a nail, and a screwdriver is most ideal for tightening a screw.

The same applies to your restaurant kitchen. You want the right kitchen equipment for the right job. It doesn’t matter whether you run a five-star restaurant, are cooking over an open fire, cooking at home, or selling hot dogs on the street. When you’re working with the best kitchen equipment and cooking tools, your results are better and people will find your food more enjoyable.

Have you ever been surprised by the arrival of unexpected guests or customers, or have that hors d’oeuvres wiped out way before you expected, and then you had to put something together on the spot?

All top chefs understand the importance of having the highest quality kitchen equipment at their fingertips (good luck trying to get them to work with second-rate junk). There’s good reason, too, and it goes far beyond vanity.

Ever had to deal with an uneven heating oven, with a thermostat seemingly possessed by the devil, while trying (emphasis on trying) to create a birthday cake masterpiece for that “special someone” without burning the building down? Good luck trying to achieve exceptional, when the equipment can barely produce edible!

Times like these can make the difference between cursing that wretched, useless scourge of a chunk of steel taking up space in our kitchen… or thanking “the gods that be” that we have the reliable, quality kitchen equipment that can help pull us through any bind.

Computerized ovens, ranges, work tables, fryers with timers, blenders, wine chillers, even air purifiers… affordable kitchen tools are available by the thousands, which will save you time, work, money and a lot of pain, as well as increase your kitchen’s efficiency and overall success. That will leave you with the opportunity to exercise your artistic license- so you can create that spectacular masterpiece, which may be the star attraction or cover story of the next issue of your favorite cooking magazine.

What is the nemesis that keeps most restaurant owners from equipping their kitchen with the best arsenal of cuisine-producing cooking-power known to mankind? What is it that curses so many kitchens to the daily toil of struggling just to pump out “average-quality” food?

Assumption. Yep- you read that right. It’s the assumption that top-quality kitchen equipment is going to cost too much. The truth is that you need not live a millionaire lifestyle to afford professional kitchen equipment. It’s actually more reasonably priced than one would expect, so do yourself a favor (and your kitchen too)- treat yourself to some top-of-the-line kitchen equipment.

Maybe start with just a stove, to see the difference… and then perhaps a fryer… then an oven… It’s okay to pace yourself, and you may be surprised to find that it could pay for itself, and more.  Quality kitchen equipment can save your business labor costs, as well as increase food quality at the same time- you can do more, faster, better, and with less. Better food means more return customers (who bring friends), which means steadily increasing numbers of customers, which also means business growth.

Now, shake off your assumption and fear, and take a real look at your options, starting online (it’s faster & easier). Your dream kitchen is much closer than you imagined. Just think more, faster, easier, and better- and always plan for growth.